7th Nextbase SDV685

* Portable players reviewed
* We test nine of the best
* Winners by category...

Jim Holder

17 Nov 2008 17:00 | Last updated: 14 Jun 2018 00:03

Nextbase SDV685RRP 169.99Best of the web 149.99 at mynewcheap.co.ukOverall

Performance

The 8.5-inch screen is big enough for two people to watch together, and picture quality is reasonably good, although it does lack some clarity. The sound quality is good, although there is some background noise from the player. Headphones are provided. A two-hour battery pack can be added.

Ease of operation

Using the SDV685 is easy. The controls are all easy to find and easy to use. There is only one headphone socket, making it extremely hard for two people to share the screen. However, Nextbase does offer eight-inch dual screen players that allow two people to watch the same film (the SDV 685AM, 249.99) or two people to watch different films (the SDV685, 299.99).

Buying

Online discounts of just over 10% can be found, but you have to work hard to find them. However, we still think this is a player that's a worthy rival for units made by higher-profile manufacturers.

Quality

The player is well built, but the dark two-tone plastics that it is built from look and feel cheap. That's a shame, as this player is better than it looks and the actual build quality appears to be very good.

Special features

The player is DivX compatible and has a USB port for playing MP3 music file or showing jpeg picture files. A car power socket is included, as is a mains adaptor. A transmitter allows users to play the sound through a car's stereo, or to wireless headphones. A bracket can bought for mounting the screen onto the back of a car's headrest.